Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this important motion from the Fianna Fáil Party on the scourge of drugs in our society. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, to the House. For many years, she has represented communities, parts of which have been badly affected by drugs. She is on the ground and knows exactly the consequences drugs use has for people. She has first-hand experience of this issue as a former Lord Mayor of Dublin, councillor and Deputy of the impact of drugs on people's lives. In all of the Oireachtas, certainly in the major parties, we could not find somebody better equipped to deal with this issue. I know the Minister of State listens to the wisdom of this House.

When I look at these issues and consider who knows what happens, has a better handle on the issue and how to come up with a solution to overcome the problem, it is Senator Ruane; she inspires us to do better. We can, will, should and need to do so. We should always aspire to do better and that is what this motion does. It calls on all of us to do better and we are all united in appreciating that there are challenges and this is not an easy problem to solve. It is most difficult for the families directly impacted and the communities affected by violence, and the consequences of that violence, arising from the drugs trade. That is worrying.

We have to approach this issue from a number of angles. We need to deal with the major drug dealers, the big boys. I dispute the figures mentioned, particularly for Clare. I refer to the drugs unit being reduced. That is not what has happened. A core group works full time in the drugs unit and then rotates. That is a far better system. A number of gardaí go into that unit for six months and work there exclusively for that time. They will then be redeployed and replaced by another group of gardaí. I discussed this issue and sought clarification as recently as last Monday with the chief superintendent in Clare. While it appears as if the drugs unit is reduced, more gardaí are actually getting direct experience working in the drugs unit. Those gardaí bring their acquired knowledge with them when they are redeployed into other units and are far better equipped to deal with the drugs issue.

An Garda Síochána tends to get what it looks for and it is the Commissioner's responsibility, and that of his senior management team, to decide how resources are deployed. We have more gardaí now than we have had in some time and in real terms we have more gardaí on the beat than ever before because of the upscaling of the back office civilian element of An Garda Síochána. Within a few years, more than 20,000 people will be on the payroll of An Garda Síochána and at least a quarter of those people will be civilian staff, dealing with the stamping of forms, passport applications, human resource issues, public relations and all of the other necessary paperwork and supporting administration required for an organisation as large as An Garda Síochána. Heretofore, the vast majority of that work was done by gardaí who were qualified and could have been on the beat. A significant recalibration is happening and the results will percolate right down to gardaí on the beat.

I would like to see all gardaí who have worked in drugs units having understanding and compassion. That is important and many gardaí do have compassion. The most import thing we need to do, however, is deal with the criminals. I refer to the inner-city gangs, not just in Dublin but in every other city. Those gangs are making fortunes. We passed legislation in this House some years ago that empowered the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, to target not just major criminals, but lesser criminals as well. I refer to the people driving flashy cars who may not be making tens of millions of euro from the drugs trade but are certainly making hundreds of thousands of euro each year from their criminal activities. Last year, CAB made seizures valued at about €7 million or €8 million. The unit had more seizures in 2018 than ever before and that was because the Oireachtas equipped it and changed the legislation.

A determined effort is under way against the drugs trade. I spent an hour and a half with the Garda Commissioner yesterday talking about the drugs issue. I will come to that in more detail in a minute. The other area we need to examine concerns people using drugs who find themselves addicted. That is a health issue and not a justice issue. I went to Portugal as part of a delegation from the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality during the last Seanad term and we witnessed how the drugs issue was dealt with there. It is not a perfect system, but it is certainly a far better approach and a health-driven one. I bow to the immense experience in the area of medicine of our friend and colleague, Senator Swanick. He knows what he is talking about and he will appreciate where I am coming from on this aspect of the drugs issue. A justice approach is not the way to deal with people who have addictions. It should, instead, be a health-led approach and we are moving in that direction.

Another approach has to involve educating middle Ireland. We should let the people going out on Saturday night, who are snorting cocaine and taking other drugs, know that they are, ultimately, destroying their own health.I am convinced that in 20 or 30 years, there will be medical conditions as a result of using these substances that we do not have experience of today. We should point out in simple English that they are fuelling organised crime and gangs such as the Kinahan and Hutch gangs which murder people on the streets over money, territory and territorial claims. I was out with Garda Commissioner Harris yesterday because I was with an organisation called Think Before You Buy, a fantastic group from Blanchardstown which is running a campaign to try to educate and make middle Ireland aware that there are consequences for going out on Saturday night and taking a strip of cocaine. The Commissioner was taken by the contribution that this group had made. He had already done his research, seen its videos, sat down with its members and listened to their arguments and case. He could see the logic in it and will work with the group on a development and education campaign to determine how it will work. What it has done on a pilot basis in Blanchardstown, which has produced evidence and results, can be turned into a national campaign.

Over the years, we encouraged people to give up smoking with anti-smoking campaigns. I am afraid the same approach will have to be adopted with regard to middle Ireland, the middle class, so-called educated people using drugs. Unfortunately they are using them in their droves and do not see anything wrong with it or any consequence from it. Much is wrong with it and there are significant consequences. We have much work to do in this area. We are not the only country with work to do but I always believe that Ireland punches above its weight and that we should set international best practice, as we have in many other areas. Now is the time to set international best practice in dealing with this issue.

My friends on the opposite benches have honourable motivations. They are fantastic public servants and I know they are trying to do the right thing. I know they appreciate that the Minister of State is trying to as well. As I said at the start of my remarks, we are lucky to have a Minister of State with empathy, understanding and experience on the ground. That is the kind of Minister of State who can, will and intends to make a difference.